


Flicker of Kindness

by handelgamer



Series: Restarts and Renewals - Tales of the Calamity [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Arashi Washi (OC), Gen, Grief/Mourning, Haurchefant was so much fun to write, Minor Violence, Original Character(s), Percy Carver (OC), Pre-ARR, SHAME IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN AM I RIGHT?, Sanda Washi (OC)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 21:22:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14173686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/handelgamer/pseuds/handelgamer
Summary: Within the chill of both Coerthas and her own heart, an impulsive action gives Arashi new strength.





	Flicker of Kindness

Arashi began to curse the pressing crowds. Mephina’s Bastard Hound looked primed to strike at Eorzea so of course everyone piled into Vesper Bay to see if there were any boats leading out. Everyone and their godsdamn mother it seemed. She held her younger sister, Sanda’s, hand tightly as they tried their hardest to maneuver around the crowd. Quite hard when the two of you are Au Ra and as such, seemed only bested by the tiny lalafells in the size department.

 

“Boats for Thavnair! Boats for Thavnair!”

 

“Going to be as good as we are going to get right now, I expect,” Sanda said to her sister. Arashi nodded back. Their plan was simple. There was nothing good in Eorzea so it was time to return to their real home. Doma. Their father told tales of what life was like for him and mother as noble warriors for their Lord. It kept them warm on those long nights in the forests, hunting and scavenging. But Eorzea was not merciful. It took both of them, first their mother with that dragon and their father by a thrice-damned primal’s hand. There was nothing here but death and surely, surely there still had to be a fight in Doma. Something worth fighting for.

 

The two struggled to make their way towards the cashier, past all of the crushing bodies but managed they did. A stone-faced Roegadyn looked at them, his eyes betraying nothing and showing no concern at all. “Passage to Radz-at-Han,” Arashi said.

 

“13,000 gil per person,” the Roegadyn said matter-of-factly.

 

The two sisters looked at each other. “We only have 30,000 to our name,” Sanda whispered.

 

“I know. So either we both leave and only get half-way home or one of us goes all the way to Doma.” A sudden thought came to Arashi. She quickly shoved the gil into her sister’s hands. “Go. Love you so much, Sanda.” Before Sanda even had time to react, Arashi vanished into the crowds.

 

 

Only a few hours later did Dalamund fall. Out in the middle of Thanalan, Arashi witnessed the sky burn and the land rend. How she survived the earthquakes that shattered the desert lands, she knew not. There was only two things left to do. Make her father some sort of grave and then...find some good way to die, she supposed.

 

* * *

 

She had heard what happened to Coerthas. That it was suffering an unending snowfall. No problem. _I bet that path to the Western Highlands is still open_ , she thought. _Just need to be better equipped that’s all._

 

But no one can be equipped for an insurmountable wall of ice blocking your only passage home. Arashi looked at what was once the narrow cliffs that connected the Central Highlands and Western Highlands in shock. Her only way home...home? Wrong word. What was she supposed to do now?

 

A high pitched yell came as a response. _Was that a child?_ Arashi rushed forth, pulling out her spear and heading out of the mountain. Rounding the corner, a nasty looking Hippocerf was latched on and had his teeth into a boy’s arm. The child was stabbing the beast’s face with a sword, desperately trying to get it off of him. The monster bit down harder, refusing to give in. Arashi ran, spear lowered and ready. An angered battle cry sprung from her lips as she stabbed the beast in it’s exposed flank. The Hippocerf finally stumbled back, crying forth in pain and letting go of the child. It is then that Arashi heard footsteps. A swarm of knights from the nearby fortress rushed for the child. Great. Her family never went to Ishgard but whispers of what happened to a band of Au Ra refugees reached them. Their scales marking them as good as dragons in their eyes.

 

The Hippocerf saw an opening as Arashi turned to look and see at who was coming. It lunged at her legs, hoping to take a bite off of her. But his attempted failed as Arashi did a quick hop to the side. She made a quick judgment where the kid had stabbed at his face and thrust her lance forward, right between the eyes. The sound of breaking bones and one last pitiful moan told Arashi her mark was true.

 

She then turned to gaze at the knights, unflinchingly staring at them. She could see the boy scamper over to a sliver-haired one blubbering out apologies. “I- I’m sorry Ser Haurchefant!”

 

“That can wait, lad. We need to get you to the infirmary now.” This Hauchefant then shouted orders for the other knights to return the lad home, which they obeyed with no question. He then turned to Arashi and...wait was that a smile? “I must thank you for defending young Percy. Whom may I ask, are you?”

 

“Arashi Washi,” she said in confusion.

 

“Mistress Washi, would you like to stay in Camp Dragonhead for awhile?”

 

Arashi blinked and stared at him in confusion. _Who is this man and why was he not calling her a dragon?_ He saw the look of confusion and smiled. “Tis only right for me to honor the one would would save a squire of House Fortomps.”

 

“I guess?” _At the very least, he seemed very sincere._ “Alright then.”

 

“Wonderful! Come, this way!” He said, walking off on the path to the east. With much confusion, Arashi followed along this exuberant man. Camp Dragonhead was abustle with activity, with much construction going on. New stone walls were defending construction of new buildings and an aetheryte was in the process of being repaired. Haurchefant led Arashi to a certain gathering of tents, what looked to be the makeshift infirmary. She spotted the child being tended to by a chirugian. His arm looked nasty, with deep bite marks. Some sort of alchemics was being placed on and wound but now, the child’s face was stone-hard. His eyes were looking off into the distance.

 

“That’s Percy,” Haurchefant said. “He comes from a family were most everyone has gained some sort of martial prowess, despite having no other status. However nearly all of his family is now dead. It’s just him and his mother now, all alone.” He sighed. “He needed someone to lean on and learn from and I decided to be that person.”

 

“Huh,” Arashi said, looking at Percy. “How old is he?”

 

“Thirteen summers now.”

 

Arashi nodded. In her thirteenth summer, she had experienced the loss of homeland and of weary travel. And yet, her family was yet whole. Mother and Father, still alive. Sister, yet beside her. The ache in her chest...she knew he was feeling it too. She could not save him from it...but maybe she could help him share his burden.

 

Young Percy spotted her. “Oh! Miss! Miss!” He very much looked like he wanted to run forward towards her, but knew better than to anger the healer. Arashi and Haurchefant took it as a sign to come close to the child. “Miss!”  
  
“Arashi.”

 

“Miss Arashi! Um, Haurchefant told me to remember to thank you the next time I saw you. So thank you, Miss Arashi. Thank you for saving me.”

 

How long had it been since Arashi had been thanked? How long had it been that she felt this simple happiness? She simply nodded and for the first time in what was ages, smiled at the boy.

 

“Well done young lad!” Haurchefant said, beaming at Percy. Percy gave him a big grin back. _This boy is in good hands_. Arashi thought. Still she needed to say something…

 

“Percy, right?” He nodded in response to Arashi’s question. “Let me give you a piece of advice. Know when to run. A heroic death is one thing, but you’d do much better for yourself AND your mother by living to fight another day.” The words rang hollow to Arashi’s horns, but nobody else seemed to notice.

 

“Of course! Know your limits, when to press them, and when to rely on others.” Haurchefant said. Arashi felt herself squirm a little bit more. _This man is far too good for this world._

 

* * *

 

“Will you not stay awhile?” Haurchefant said, as Arashi made preparations to leave.

 

“I think you know as well as I what my looks mean to everyone else around here. Even if you are the first fool who’s looked past that.” Arashi said.

 

Haucrchefant sighed remorsefully at that. “At least let me give you provisions for your journey,” he said, rushing off. A few moments later, he came back with loaves of bread and some cheese wrapped in a cloth. It was embroidered with a some sort of crest. “The symbol of House Fortemps. I may not be able to help you fend off the dangers of the road but at least I can offer some small comfort.”

 

 _Would that more men were like Haurchefant. Would that I was more like him._ Arashi nodded and took his gifts and stowed them away in her bag.

 

“I pray we meet under better circumstances. May the Fury watch over you.”

 

Arashi nodded, gave one small smile, and the turned and hit the road.

 

* * *

 

 

For five years, she wandered around Eorzea. Never settling. A lancer who righted what wrongs she could, for what coin she could scavenge. Maybe she could scavenge enough to go home to Doma, would be just as likely that she would die on this land. Maybe. But the path was always a long and arduous one.

 

And one day, she settled in a chocobo carriage, thinking to take up more formal training in the lance in Gridania...

**Author's Note:**

> Arashi Washi (and her sister Sanda) is actually my boyfriend, @WordiestBird's character on FFXIV. He did do some minor writing and editing on this piece as well. 
> 
> I initially was not going to do a piece about her, until I realized that she is essentially the "Gridanian newcomer" of the bunch of characters we've created, similar to Q'hara and Eleone for being Limsa's and Ul'dah's newcomers. So I gotta round it out!


End file.
